What happened in the River City Media data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 23, 2024
8/13/24 Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly linked to an Oregon-based company called River City Media. That company is not the subject of this article, and we have clarified that this article relates to a completely different River City Media that is apparently based in Wyoming. We apologize for the error.
In March 2017, River City Media, a large Wyoming-based email marketing organization, experienced a significant data breach. The breach occurred as a result of improper configuration of the backup system by River City Media workers.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 393 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included sensitive information such as email addresses, names, phone numbers, IP addresses, geographic locations, and social media profiles.
How was River City Media hacked?
According to Chris Vickery of MacOS security software house MacKeeper, River City Media inadvertently exposed a backup database containing an estimated 393 million unique records due to improper configuration of its backup system. The data leak, which was not a result of hacking, included email addresses, names, IP addresses, zip codes, and in some cases physical addresses. Vickery said the company used the rsync protocol to backup its MySQL databases without password protection, leaving the databases exposed for at least three months before being taken offline.
River City Media's solution
In response to the data breach, River City Media took action to address the situation and prevent future incidents. Contrary to Vickery's claims of misconfiguration, the company stated in a press release that they were the victim of a malicious hack. The company worked with security researchers and law enforcement to investigate the breach.
How do I know if I was affected?
It is unclear whether River City Media reached out to affected users following the data breach. If you believe you may have been affected, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised in this or any other data breach.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or financial institution immediately.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the River City Media data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
What happened in the River City Media data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 23, 2024
8/13/24 Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly linked to an Oregon-based company called River City Media. That company is not the subject of this article, and we have clarified that this article relates to a completely different River City Media that is apparently based in Wyoming. We apologize for the error.
In March 2017, River City Media, a large Wyoming-based email marketing organization, experienced a significant data breach. The breach occurred as a result of improper configuration of the backup system by River City Media workers.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 393 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included sensitive information such as email addresses, names, phone numbers, IP addresses, geographic locations, and social media profiles.
How was River City Media hacked?
According to Chris Vickery of MacOS security software house MacKeeper, River City Media inadvertently exposed a backup database containing an estimated 393 million unique records due to improper configuration of its backup system. The data leak, which was not a result of hacking, included email addresses, names, IP addresses, zip codes, and in some cases physical addresses. Vickery said the company used the rsync protocol to backup its MySQL databases without password protection, leaving the databases exposed for at least three months before being taken offline.
River City Media's solution
In response to the data breach, River City Media took action to address the situation and prevent future incidents. Contrary to Vickery's claims of misconfiguration, the company stated in a press release that they were the victim of a malicious hack. The company worked with security researchers and law enforcement to investigate the breach.
How do I know if I was affected?
It is unclear whether River City Media reached out to affected users following the data breach. If you believe you may have been affected, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised in this or any other data breach.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or financial institution immediately.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the River City Media data breach, check out the following news articles:
Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.
What happened in the River City Media data breach?
Twingate Team
•
May 23, 2024
8/13/24 Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly linked to an Oregon-based company called River City Media. That company is not the subject of this article, and we have clarified that this article relates to a completely different River City Media that is apparently based in Wyoming. We apologize for the error.
In March 2017, River City Media, a large Wyoming-based email marketing organization, experienced a significant data breach. The breach occurred as a result of improper configuration of the backup system by River City Media workers.
How many accounts were compromised?
The breach impacted data related to approximately 393 million individuals.
What data was leaked?
The data exposed in the breach included sensitive information such as email addresses, names, phone numbers, IP addresses, geographic locations, and social media profiles.
How was River City Media hacked?
According to Chris Vickery of MacOS security software house MacKeeper, River City Media inadvertently exposed a backup database containing an estimated 393 million unique records due to improper configuration of its backup system. The data leak, which was not a result of hacking, included email addresses, names, IP addresses, zip codes, and in some cases physical addresses. Vickery said the company used the rsync protocol to backup its MySQL databases without password protection, leaving the databases exposed for at least three months before being taken offline.
River City Media's solution
In response to the data breach, River City Media took action to address the situation and prevent future incidents. Contrary to Vickery's claims of misconfiguration, the company stated in a press release that they were the victim of a malicious hack. The company worked with security researchers and law enforcement to investigate the breach.
How do I know if I was affected?
It is unclear whether River City Media reached out to affected users following the data breach. If you believe you may have been affected, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were compromised in this or any other data breach.
What should affected users do?
In general, affected users should:
Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.
Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and any other important online accounts. Consider enabling this additional security feature to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or financial institution immediately.
Where can I go to learn more?
If you want to find more information on the River City Media data breach, check out the following news articles:
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